Artemis Fowl and the Epidemic
by ravenmasteroftele
Summary: The fairy world has been struck by a terrible illness. It's a race against the clock as death slowly begins to eat its way through The People. AH :Lost Colony Spoilers:
1. Chapter 1: Expect the Unexpected

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Artemis Fowl series.**

**No Flaming Please!**

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**Chapter 1: Expect the Unexpected.**

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Artemis Fowl laid his head down on his arms. This was the fifth day the Fowl's fortress of immunity had forsaken him, and he felt incredibly ill. He could hardly arouse himself enough to lift his head when someone knocked at his door. "Dinner, sir."

The three years that passed during the time warp had changed Fowl Manor, many more hired servants now scurried through the grounds. It was mostly because of the twins, it was hard to keep track of two young genius's in a mansion as big as the Fowl's. He sometimes enjoyed the extra service, but this man happened to be particularly annoying. "None tonight. Tell mother that I am feeling ill."

"I'll be doing that, sir." There was a shuffle behind the door as the servant went to deliver his message. As quickly as his aching body would allow, he slowly attempted to do some research. He had many medical books committed to memory, but none of them fitted this diseases description. It obviously had yet to harm the world of humans.

To most mud men the fairy web was completely unreachable, but he was not most mud men. Perhaps, he mused, the fairy people had given him a disease that his human body was not used to. That very dilemma had happened to many societies throughout history, so it could be a major possibility here.

The computer spat out information faster then dirt comes out a dwarf's bum flap. Every single sight came up a dead end, it was like this illness did not exist. He had to have gotten the disease from somewhere, and he hadn't visited anywhere unethical for quite some time. Diseases didn't just spring up from nowhere.

His stomach had not stopped aching for days, and nausea came and went quickly. For the past couple of days he had been covered by strange blue splotches that were in the exact same shape as a liver. Artemis didn't need a doctor. If he couldn't figure something out, then nobody could.

A few small sparks danced down his arm, but they weren't able to help his cause. For the past couple of days he experimented with numerous antidotes, but they were all failures. The internal bleeding he was experiencing was intense. If he couldn't find a cure, he would eventually bleed himself to death.

If he wanted to think of a solution, it was going to take long hours of meditation. He wandered over to the door, leaning against the doorjamb. He was going to have to come out eventually to get food. Having food brought up to him was getting old, and his parents would eventually force him to see them. They did care about him, after all.

Heavy footsteps thudded down the hall towards his door. The footsteps belonged to his bodyguard and friend, Butler. The footsteps were unusually quiet for a person of Butler's size, but that was because he had years of training. You wouldn't last very long as a bodyguard, if you sounded like a herd of stampeding elephants.

A light tapping resounded across the room as Butler knocked politely. He knew that his bodyguard had been worried about him. It wasn't like he could blame his rather muscular friend, he had not left his room in several days. "What is it, old friend?"

"Artemis you really should come down, your parents are concerned." He frowned at the tingle of guilt within his stomach. This disease was new to him, he hardly knew anything about it. If the illness could be caught by others, then his family would be in dire trouble. The twins would be especially susceptible to a disease such as this, and it could easily erase their names from the board of life. Even if they did not realize it, he was better off from behind closed doors.

This was one of those times when he was grateful for his fellow manservant's trust. Sometimes things were just better left unsaid. This, he believed, was one of those times. His family's worry would be tripled if they knew that about this incurable ailment. For a he knew, he could be dead tomorrow. "Trust me," he wheezed. "This is for the better."

His massive friend sighed from behind the door. It hurt him to know that he was causing Butler so much pain and unhappiness. To himself, he silently cursed his new array of emotions that had turned him into such a softie. Only a few years ago, his family's emotions and opinions would not have affected him in the slightest.

Changing from hard to soft had not been a easy transition to make, but yet it happened without him hardly even realizing that. Holly Short had changed him more then she would ever know, and he had no intention of letting her know how much she had affected his life. He mentally cursed himself again for letting his thoughts get so emotional, it just wasn't his style.

"Very well," Butler said. He heard the footsteps trail away, stop, then come marching back to his door again. Artemis already knew what his friend wanted to say to him. In his opinion, it was a pretty obvious scenario to measure out.

"Is there anything else," he asked. The pain in his stomach was very strong again; it was almost like a horse had given him a well placed kick in his abdomen. Slowly, he slumped his body down to his knees. This was why he rarely got out of bed since the sickness struck; the stomach pains didn't come often, but it brought him crashing to the floor when they did.

Butler shuffled his feet from behind the door again. Restlessness was one of the top signs of being nervous about something. He could make out the distinct huffing of his bodyguard's breathing, which was slightly faster then normal. By the sounds of his friend's restless feet and rushed breathing, he could tell that Butler was slightly nervous. "Yes, Artemis."

This was the worst pain attack he had experienced yet. During his last episode, he had measured his bodies organs. The convulsions seemed to be controlled by some nonsexist force as if a great wizard was commanding the illness from afar. The water he had drank thirty minutes earlier threatened to explode from his lips.

"I know that I'm an employee, but if you ever want to talk I'll be here." It was just as he expected. Artemis trusted Butler on a deep level. If he ever needed to say something, he would not be afraid to ask him. He deeply appreciated having a friend like Butler around; although, he never bothered to say it.

When he tried to force his vomit down his throat, the words tumbled down with the partially digested pieces. He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't find the words to say it. Artemis Fowl was just not cut out for emotional things. Finding friends had taken him 13 years, and it was taking him even longer to figure out what to say to them. "Will that be all?"

He practically self mutilated himself after that sentence. That wasn't the correct choice of action, and he knew it. That's what he liked about knowledge, most of the time the correct answer could be found within the text. When it came to talking to friends; however, most of the information came from the heart. He found friendship more difficult then quantum physics.

"Yes." Butler didn't sound upset. He figured that his friend understood what he had meant, even though it had come out all wrong. Being around Artemis for twenty years, and not knowing that he had trouble showing affection and emotions was near impossible.

He was not able to hold the vomit down anymore. It came shooting out of his mouth like a torpedo flailing towards a enemy. The floor was completely drenched by his accidental throw up. He was thankful that not even his mother had been there to see his little mishap. If even his parents saw what just happened, it would ruin his image.

Blood curled among the layer of stomach acid that pooled in his stomach acid. Everyday the amount of red among his vomit had increased, and everyday he felt a little bit sicker. If he didn't find the cure before he was permanently bed ridden, then he would soon meet his maker. He trusted no one else to find a cure, only himself.

With a angry sigh, he slowly eased himself out of the vomit. The aching his stomach no longer bothered him; although, his hunger now did. He was having a bad day, and he definitely didn't want to spend the rest of the afternoon mopping up his own stomach acid. The housekeeper could easily mop up his mistake, but he couldn't allow anyone else to get ill.

His cell phone twittered pathetically as it played the tune from a famous opera. It was probably Minerva again, asking why he hadn't called. It wasn't like he didn't want to talk to her, but he was to sick to want to discuss everything. There was also another reason why he did not call.

She was just to similar to him. When they were first together he liked being with someone who shared his opinions, but that was the problem; they just seemed to agree on everything. He found Minerva becoming incredibly dull. There really wasn't any spark, just book discussions. If he ever wanted to be with someone, he would want the girl to make his life interesting.

* * *

_One Week Later..._

Holly Short found herself standing in a hospital surrounded by sick creatures. There was a epidemic in the fairy world, and no one was sure of the cause. There were doctors everywhere, helping patients into gurneys. The People could only pray that the virus would not warp and become airborne, like so many diseases often did.

She gave Mulch a concerned look as the doctor poked and prodded him. The moment he had been hit with stomach problems, he had been rushed to the hospital. Nobody was willing to take a chance with this new disease, even if it meant being rushed to the hospital when you had a cramp.

"What's wrong with him?" Holly wrinkled her nose at the smell Mulch was radiating. Troll dung was so gruesome smelling that it could make the weak hearted faint, but even that smell couldn't compare to his odor. Her eyes watered from the pain that the scent was causing her nose.

Now that the doctor was done looking him over, he now stood in the corner farthest away from Mulch. She couldn't blame the doctor, he did smell pretty bad. Her stomach was actually began to feel a little queasy, and she was standing 20 meters away. The dwarf smiled a tombstone grin at the doctor.

The doctor smirked back, "Your smelly friend doesn't have the new disease."

"What could it be then," he cried. Even though the words from his mouth sounded surprised, she could tell that he wasn't. He had put up quite a fight when he was being hauled to the hospital. It wouldn't surprise her a singe bit if she discovered he had pulled something criminal on them, it was in his nature. "I smell like I came out of Foaly's-"

"It's not life threatening, is it?" She knew perfectly well that he wasn't going to die, but the doctor seemed to be irritated by his behavior. If the doctor had even heard Mulch, his face did not show it. '_He's a lot like Artemis,'_ she thought. '_He never lets anything show.'_

"No," the doctor looked at his charts. "He's got a extraordinarily large diamond stuck in his intestines. When a dwarfs waste can't get out one way, it goes out another."

Holly visibly flinched. Having dwarf manure anywhere on her was not a appealing thought, and she silently prayed that no physical contact had been made. She strangely wasn't bothered as much as she thought she should be. It was a long time coming; when they had worked together, she saw that he wasn't totally enthralled with being good. " Do I even want to know how you managed to swallow a large diamond?"

Mulch grimaced as Holly stood in front of him, hands on hips. Even though she was shorter then him, she could still be extremely frightening. Normally, she was angelic in her ways; however, she was more like a demon when angry. Her hair that had been grown out to mid-neck length was like fire around her face. He grimaced, "Would it help to tell you that it was a accident?"

She wasn't actually angry with him. Apart of her felt guilty because she didn't feel any anger towards his actions, and that was why she was upset. As much as she tried to hide it, she knew that it was in his nature. "I doubt it, Diggums."

A gurney being dragged down the hallway next to the door caught her attention. There was a little girl laying on the mattress, her eyes and face showing death. The fairy couldn't have been more then 30 years old, but the kid still had her life ripped from her. It gave Holly a cold feeling in her stomach.

The girls face was covered with many blue spots in odd shapes, and her face was a odd purple color. A vision of Artemis flickered in front of her eyes as she watched the girl. She had been thinking a lot about him that past week. _'Maybe I should give him a call, just to make sure he's alright.'_

"So young, these victims." The doctor appeared to be talking to himself; although, his gaze was upon her. The ice in her stomach was not going away, she just couldn't away the feeling of doom that was upon her. Intuition was something that she didn't lack, and she had that feeling that something was wrong. "it's a real pity. We have had many more deaths today."

The disease had come from nowhere, stealing souls away from The People. Before the epidemic had seemed so unreal like something taken out of mud men movies, but now she could see how real it was. It reminded her of her father when she was here. She could still remember the scurrying of healer warlocks as they tried to make him well. 'I don't want to think about that,' she thought.

"I'm sure they'll find a cure," she said.

"I hope so, it would be a pity to see more younglings die." In his hands was a bottle of medicine that looked incredibly pure. It looked so vibrant and delicious that she fought the urge to grab the bottle from the doctor, and drink the antidote herself. Mulch took it eagerly. "Drink this-"

He drank the medicine very quickly, but he also spit it out just as fast. The poor doctor was covered from head to toe in spit and medicine. He looked as though he had come out of swimming pool, even though the medication had only filled a small vile. Mulch yelped, "That was horrible!"

The doctor fell to the floor in dead faint. The dwarf spittle hardened fast, leaving the unfortunate soul wrapped in a thick cocoon of spit. Holly was still in deep shock. She knew to suspect the unexpected from Mulch, but that was a little to surprising. She cried, "You can swallow acres worth of manure, chew on somebody's butt, and yet you couldn't swallow that little vile of medicine?"

* * *

Foaly tapped on the computer's keyboard impatiently. Whenever he felt as though he had the disease figured out, it twisted itself into some new form. It was almost like the disease had a brain. Never once in the history of The People had he ever known something this complicated.

Vinyaya turned to him and sighed. She may not be a genius like he was, but she could definitely understand when they hit another dead end. Dealing with diseases was mostly dealt with among warlocks, but Foaly's knew mate had become sick with the disease. Ever since she had been admitted into the hospital, he had been working nonstop to find a cure. "How's it coming?"

His pride had been squashed like a goblin's head in Mulch's teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to need some help. "I hate to say this, but I need Artemis Fowl."


	2. Chapter 2: Into the Light

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Artemis Fowl novels.**

**No Flaming Please!**

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_Chapter 2: Into the Light_

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He showered in icy water to lower his temperature. If his temperature went any higher, his brain cells would begin to melt like putty. Artemis Fowl could not afford to lose any such cells. Stress had caused the sudden outburst of fever, and he doubted that the cause of the anxiety would dissipate. "Arty," his mother called. "Please come out; we can talk about this."

Angelina was the cause of his sudden burst of displeasure, and she refused to be satisfied. As mothers often do, she made her advances despite his distaste. He assumed that he was to old to receive such behavior from his parent; however, it appeared that he was very much mistaken.

His room had been raided by his parents some time ago, and so he now was forced to hide in the bathroom. It didn't make a difference anymore; the virus would be inside of his room, whether or not he was in it. "I have given you my reason," he replied, "I'm still quite ill."

"Let me help you," she called back. That was the last thing he needed or wanted. If he wanted to discover a cure, he couldn't have his mother constantly forcing him to lay in bed. Bed rest was fine and dandy for the average cold or flu, but this was a different story.

The door to the bathroom jiggled as his mother attempted to get past the insubstantial lock on the bathroom door. Just as the lock clicked open the twins began to scream. _'For once_,' he thought. _'Karma is on my side.' _He did not consider that a good thing.

She called, "You better be out by the time I get back."

He had no intention of staying in the tiny bathroom with its flimsy lock; although, he also had no intention of staying in the house. Artemis Fowl had to leave Fowl manor.

The flimsy door shuddered as he rushed back into his bedroom and ran to the closet. Since he didn't have much time, he threw all his neatly folded suits into a travel bag. Everything in the room had a distinct smell of electronics and laundry. _'This may be the last time I see my room,'_ he mused.

For the first time since his illness began, he felt a tingle of fear. The thought of never seeing his family and friends again was harsh, even for him. Death had never frightened him before. Maybe it was because he was so close to dieing that brought about the fear.

When Holly and he had their wild adventures, they never really had time to think about death. This illness was slow and gave him time to contemplate things. _'I'm being ridiculous,'_ he contemplated. _'I've overcome worse before. This is not the time nor the place to start doubting myself.'_

"Where are we going?" Butler was leaning against the doorjamb of his room, his shaven head gleamed like a brand new Ferrari. It killed him to even think about leaving without his bodyguard, but he had no choice. The virus could suddenly warp and become airborne.

"There is no we-" Holly was trying to contact him. Whenever she called, he knew that it had to be important. The moments when she called just to talk was rare.

It was Foaly's voice that burst through communicator, not Holly's. He couldn't help but be slightly disappointed; they hadn't spoken in quite awhile. If his life was in as much danger as he thought it was, then hearing her voice would have boosted his resolve. "Hello mudboy."

The twins had become silent. His mother would be stomping up the stairs in a matter of minutes; the amount of time that he had to talk could be measured in mere milliseconds. The guilt he felt was already to a extreme point. He didn't need her getting all teary eyed, and making him affectively feel even poorer.

"Make it fast Foaly!" He threw more and more things into his handbag. This trip could be long or permanent; he had to be prepared. The contents of his travel bag were in complete disarray, but he didn't notice or care. This was not the time to be focusing on his wrinkled suits. "I don't have much time."

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Foaly's laughter sounded more like a horses whinnying then a laugh._ 'I don't have time for this,' _he thought. _'I may have to disconnect him. I'm in no condition to save the People; they'll just have to manage without me.' _"Is your girlfriend giving you trouble?"

Artemis said, "Goodbye-"

"Wait!" Foaly was a dwarf faced with fire, frightened and in need of assistance. Under normal conditions he would have smirked because of the centaurs need for help; he would have even thrown a pun or two. Unfortunately for him, his life wasn't anywhere near normal. "I need a favor."

"No," he responded. "I can't do it."

Butler looked at him in surprise. He never turned down anything that quickly; especially when it involved The People. That was his way. Even if the proposition was totally out of question, he usually took the time to listen and decide.

"Have a heart," Foaly interjected. _'This isn't my fault,'_ he contemplated. '_I didn't choose for this to happen.' _"The whole fairy world is in danger."

"Fine," he sighed. The twins had started yelling once again; this would buy him a good ten minutes. If assumed that Foaly could keep his explanation under seven minutes, then he would have plenty of time. Saying no, however, was going to be a hardship on his part. "Tell me what it is, but don't expect me to assist you."

"There's a epidemic," Foaly snapped, agitated by Artemis's unwillingness. He immediately felt his aching stomach sink. The fairy people must have transferred the disease to him. When he did his research on the fairy world diseased, it bypassed the illness because it was yet to be discovered. "It's killing people."

"I changed my mind." It didn't look like he had to worry about a safe hideaway; fate had decided for him. '_Foaly has been working with more patients then I; he probably knows a bit more regarding the disease. It may be enough for me to find the antidote.'_ "I'll help."

"I knew you would." Foaly lost the tone of a pleading child, and returned to the unappreciated genius that he once was. Artemis knew how hard it had been for the centaur to ask for assistance; he always had a hard time with it. "We have a informant waiting for you at the front gate. He'll be shielded; if you didn't already guess, so be warned."

"What about Holly?" It had always been she who had accompanied him to the chutes. He missed seeing her greatly, since they hadn't had a chance to meet in quite some time. He could already see her flickering eyes that always burned with eternal fire.

"She doesn't know you're coming; Venyaya sent her on another mission." He assumed that he would get to see her later. The cure wasn't going to be magically summoned into his brain when he entered the fairies world; they would have some time to talk later. Time, unfortunately, wasn't something that he had much of. "You'll see her in time."

"Fine," he mumbled. His mood was a waterslide, getting lower and lower with each passing moment. Things were not going his way this week. Karma was usually something he could beat; however, now it seemed to be tuning him into mince meat.

Foaly's voice faded from the communicator, "Bye Mudboy."

"Change of plans, Butler." He attempted to take a step forward, but his legs gave away. They were like Jell-o, wiggly and slippery. All he could do was kneel on the floor and pant like a exhausted jogger. He hated to look so weak.

Butler was at his side the moment he hit the ground. A thief had stolen his breath, leaving him unable to do as much as inhale slightly. His inability to redeem himself hurt him more then the physical ailments that were occurring; although, no one could blame him for falling ill. The disease had finally reached a new level of extremity.

"Artemis, what is it? Your neck is…" He had tried to hide the blue marks with a turtleneck because he lacked the energy and time to make synthetic skin. There wasn't time to think about creating fake skin when his life was slowly being sucked away. Butler would just have to be sworn to secrecy; he didn't want The People to know.

Butler tried helping him to his feet, but he pulled away. Whenever he needed assistance his manservant had always been there; this time his manservant wouldn't be able to save him. Artemis Fowl was truly on his own. "I'm fine."

They both knew that he wasn't.

* * *

When Artemis and Butler finally made it out of the chute, he was on his knees puking. Fortunately enough though, the only thing his stomach contained was water. Maintenance had probably seen worse then a puddle of stomach acid and blood.

"How are you going to keep this from Holly," Butler asked. Even if Artemis wasn't throwing up ever thirty minutes, his complexion was so blue that it would alert a blind man. He slowly wobbled unsteadily to his legs made from Jell-O.

He wanted to keep this from her and the other for as long as possible. Pity was something that he had despised since his birth because weakness was needed to deserve it. Artemis Fowl never wanted to be considered weak. "Don't worry about that."

"She would want to know."

"It's for the best," he sighed. This was just some excuse to make himself seem less at fault. Telling Holly was something that she would want, but sometimes what we want is not for the best. This could be considered a time when this logic was necessary. "Holly would get overly emotional. I can concentrate more when I don't have to worry about other things."

"She's controlled her feelings over the past years." He wasn't sure why Butler felt so strongly about this. It wasn't like he was going back to his old ways; he was just keeping a little secret. It was in Artemis's nature to hide things until the opportune moment.

"I know, old friend." Not telling her felt almost traitorous, but it wasn't like he was doing something wrong. In the distance he could hear the echo of tiny footsteps. He could automatically recognize the sound of the footsteps because he had heard them many times before.

Other than Holly who was slowly creeping in upon them, there wasn't a fairy in sight. The place was as empty as Goblin's brain and twice as smelly. Artemis sniffed in disapproval. _'Even Mulch doesn't smell this bad,'_ he thought. Butler murmured, "It smells-"

His bodyguard jumped sky high beside him, making the ground rumbled beneath his feet. He had already assumed that Holly would try her little tactic; that was why he had kept his silence when he knew of her presence.

"Hello, Holly." Her shield flickered off, revealing her bodice. Butler and he both received friendly hugs and kisses on the cheek. It looked like he had been upgraded on the greeting scale since their last meeting. They gave each other a warm smile before looking away. "I don't think that it's a good idea to keep scaring Butler like that."

Butler suddenly looked very pale. He hated to mention it, but his bodyguard's doctor said to expect heart trouble. Seeing his best friend have a avoidable heart attack was not on his things-to-accomplish-list. They were all silent for a moment. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize, Artemis; something's should be said." His bodyguard stared pointedly at him. Artemis shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to Holly. Despite the fact that he had looked away, his friend's gaze could still be felt on the back of his neck.

Giving him a curious glance, Holly's from deepened. She had seen those blue spots somewhere before; although, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. '_What's wrong with Artemis's face? I've seen those marking before.'_ "Artemis, your face looks a little blue."

"Do you mean that metaphorically or literally," he frowned. Artemis already knew what she meant, but sometimes he couldn't help himself. There was something about seeing her annoyed that pleased him; however, he had no idea why. The reason swam in the back of his head like a caged animal, just waiting to break free.

Her tiny fist balled as she threw a punch. "You know exactly what I mean, Fowl."

His arm gave a painful throb in recognition of the might blow it had just received. For someone so tiny, she could certainly throw might punches. There was definitely going to be a bruise in the morning. "Holly, I thought we were friends."

She smirked playfully, "We are."

"I almost liked it better when we were enemies." It was nice to see Holly again, even it meant receiving a bucketful of very painful bruises. When it came to the loyalty of friend, she was high on the list. "You never used to punch me unless I deserved it."

"You did deserve it." Neither of them took each other seriously. If they wanted to survive the clash of their stubbornness, that was the way things had to be done.

She rolled her eyes. Her hair was no longer at the crew cut fashion, but lazily lay across her shoulder blades. With someone who's hair was as pretty as hers, it was nice to see it flashing about. Artemis secretly approved of her decision to grow it out.

"Butler, what's wrong with Artemis?" His blue complexion had worried her from the start. It was eating at her mind like a giant piranha. She had seen those blue markings somewhere before, but she couldn't seem to put her finger on it.

Butler's mouth visibly tightened. Lying to a loyal friend was not something his bodyguard could do easily, but it was what his client asked of him. "I-"

"Don't worry about it," he interrupted, sparing Butler more discomfort. His bodyguard had always been there to protect him from harm; he didn't want to push his friend into a uncomfortable position. If any lying had to be done, then he would do it himself. "Don't worry about it."

"You're skin is covered in blue spots! How can I not worry about it?" 'He's acting unusual,' she thought. 'He normally would use this as another opportunity to brag.' "You're up to something!"

"It's nothing to worry about," he muttered. "I spilled some chemicals on my skin. The odd coloring should be gone in a couple of days.

"The great Artemis Fowl makes a mistake," she teased. He attempted to look affronted, but was stopped by the sudden nose bleed. Like Niagara Falls, the blood rushed from his nostrils in great amounts. His hand could not contain the amount of metallic-tasting liquid that was now a fast flowing river.

Butler and Holly were quick to be at his side, but he backed away. This was the most embarrassing thing that had happened to him since he accidentally tripped and fell on his professor. This teacher, apparently dimwitted, thought that he had attempted to molest her. He mentally shuddered.

"Artemis!?" Neither of them knew what to do; Artemis Fowl never got a nosebleeds. As a two-month-old baby, he had been able to change his own diaper. Every time they reached out to help he backed away, to proud to receive help. All they could do was stare at him in a comforting manner.

The blood plunging out of his nose subsided, letting him remove his hands from his face. His entire suit looked as though he had dived into a swimming pool of red. If he lost as much blood as he thought he had, then he was dire need of some assistance; however, he knew that he wouldn't ask for it. "Just a little nosebleed," he murmured. "I'll be fine."

She was pretty frightened for his sake. Artemis may have the ability to make her angrier then possibly any other creature, but he also managed to make her care for him despite everything. If something ever happened to him, she wasn't sure that she could cope. Holly cried, "Just a little nosebleed? You look as though someone pierced every vein in your body."

"Come on," he cried. "You're people are dying, Holly! You shouldn't be standing here worrying about a minuscule nosebleed."

"I'll talk to you about this later," she muttered. He was right about The People, but that didn't mean this conversation was over. The blue spots were still poking at her mind with a extremely big stick. _'Where have I seen those blue spots before. Of all time to forget something important, it has to be now.'_ "Don't expect me to forget about this."

He didn't assume that she would. Having his nose suddenly become a giant blood spigot wasn't something that either of them were soon to forget. The world around him became to spin as though he were on a merry-go-round, and he was finding difficulty in walking straight. _'Great,'_ he thought. '_Just great.'_ " Don't expect me to say anything diverse."

'_Does he really think I'm that gullible,_' she wondered. '_He's swaying back and forth like a drunken gnome.'_ She sighed and shrugged her shoulders; Artemis would have to be handled later. "Trust me, Fowl; when I'm done with you, I'll have you spilling beans faster then Mulch can eat a sandwich."

"I don't doubt it," he smiled.

* * *

The briefing didn't last very long. Foaly knew about as much as Artemis did, and that was absolutely nothing. He found it hard to hide his disappointment. The People had more advanced technology then his world did; at the very least, he expected some data that would be able to assist him. "Are you sure that's all you know, Foaly?"

The nod the centaur gave made his stomach knot. He accumulated the timings on his disease, and he knew that his time was growing seriously short. Every second that passed was fatal for all of his organs; he could feel them dissipating at the very thought. Foaly questioned, " Give us a break, Mudboy. This disease is as slimy as Mulch and twice as smelly. "

"I expected more," he snapped. Foaly looked completely crest fallen. It had obviously taken a lot from him to suck up his pride and ask Artemis for help; he felt slightly guilty for reacting as cruelly as he had, but his mood was not to be helped.

"You're as moody as troll in heat," Holly scowled. "I thought humans passed their mood swings when they reached eighteen."

Holly had just compared him to the average teenager, and this offended him. _'She knows perfectly well that I'm not some moody teenager,'_ he thought. _'If this is her way of trying to improve my disposition, then she is failing terribly.'_ "I thought that at a age of eighty five fairies were supposedly adults; it appears that I was very much mistaken."

"What's that supposed to mean," she yelled. Butler and Foaly remained silent as the two got themselves wound up. When those two started acting like angry bulldogs, it was best to stay out of it. Butler would only intervene if things got too out of hand.

He gave her his hard as ice smile; his two different colored eyes were flickering diamond. They always lit up when his emotions extremes became released. Holly was winding herself up like a King Cobra, ready to take down the nearest object producing heat; that object happened to be Artemis. "You know exactly what I mean, Holly."

His stomach let out the cramp from hell. One of his legs nearly gave out, and he had to reach out to the nearest wall for support. Whatever anger Holly had been harnessing was now gone; she was at his side in a moment.

She looked at him with more concern then a mother would look at her sick child. His face may have look as though it were under control, but his eyes told a completely different story. They revealed more about his personality then Artemis would ever know. His glittering diamonds told her instantly that he was actually frightened. "Artemis, are you alright?"

He was silent. _'What am I supposed to say,'_ he wondered. '_Holly, I've got the epidemic too, and I've only got approximately two weeks left to live.' _Every cell in his body screamed out in agony as he forced his bluish lips into a smile. That smile took more effort then forcing yourself to go down Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel. "I'll be okay."

She took his arm and forced him to look at her. "You're not fine."

For such a little creature, her grip was incredibly strong. He found it impossible to pull away from his redheaded friend. A wave of nausea picked this opportune moment to strike, and he tried to wiggle away from her. His pride had been damaged enough today without him having to vomit on the floor in front of Holly. "Holly, please."

Butler could tell that this was something very wrong with Artemis. If things had been normal then the manservant would have had no trouble allowing her to carry on, but it didn't take a genius to see that there was something wrong. "Let him go!"

"I-" Artemis tried to explain but the urge to puke was to strong. He felt his primal instincts come into play as his mind calculated his choices of actions; neither of them seemed very respectable.

At the sound of Butler's command, she immediately released her grip. Everyone merely stared as Artemis took off like a wounded dog out the door and into the hallway. Nobody was sure whether or not to go after him, so they all stared dumbfounded at the door as if expecting it to jump off of its hinges and attack them. "Why did he take off like that; the truth, Butler."

"I wish I knew," he cried. All he knew was that Artemis had been quite ill the last couple of days. There had been no other information given, and he hadn't questioned anything. Master Fowl would never release any given information until he was ready to do so. Even though he had received a warning from his principle not to disclose any information, he found this to be the best time for it. "He's been sick for quite some time."

"He's had to have said something," she said to herself. The blue spots were still eating away at her solid demise, and subconsciously she already knew what was wrong with the ill Mudboy; she just hadn't admitted it to herself yet.

It was strange how the mind worked. If the information it was receiving was something that it truly did not want to receive, then it would push way back beyond the break of consciousness. The information would find itself a twig and desperately try to work its way back out again. The wall of our mind is to clouded for this single thought to get out alone.

"He's been locked in his room all week," he murmured. Butler was worried about Artemis; this behavior was to strange for a boy genius. Nothing short of Mulch opening his bum flap could make Master Fowl bound away like he did today. "No one could lure him out."

Her head had begun to hurt tremendously. She hadn't been able to clear her head ever since she saw those markings sitting on Artemis; they were driving her into a insane asylum. Not only that, but her worry for the annoying genius was growing every minute he did not return. Like a big clock, she could count every second that inched passed. "Not even Minerva."

"They hadn't been seeing each other much lately," he replied. "Master Fowl has been avoiding her."

The ache in her head eased a little. Her feet tapped on the ground rhythmically, each tap was a second that oozed through the space time continuum. One, two, three, four; '_Why hasn't he come back,'_ she wondered. '_He has no place to go. I bet he's planning something._' "Why? She's just like him, arrogant and smart."

"I'm a bit disappointed; I was fond of Minerva." He looked at Holly curiously. It almost looked like she was counting or something. Artemis's vomiting times could almost be planned on a perfect schedule; he knew this because his principle kept one on his cell phone.

Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty; "I always assumed that they would get married."

She was about ready to burst. When Artemis got back he was going to tell her what was going on, even if she had to torture the information out of him. Last time he withheld information it had not been for a good reason; she did not want that to happen again. All she could force herself to say was, "Those blue dots bother me."

"D'avrit!" Foaly had been oddly silent for the whole conversation; it was almost like he hadn't been there.

They turned to glance at the centaur, neither of them exactly sure what he was complaining about. Foaly's face had begun to slowly redden like a child holding her breath to get her way. They cried together almost harmoniously, "What?"

_'I haven't seen Foaly this upset since Mulch left a steaming pile of dung in his chair,'_ thought Holly. She blinked twice; this couldn't have been the dwarf's doing, he was still in his house recovering from the foul tasting medication.

"You were at the hospital yesterday, weren't you?" Foaly's eyes were as big as the propellers on a airplane, and his eyes dance back and fourth like tap-dancers on parade. Soft hoof-beats could be heard as he clambered off his especially designed chair.

She wondered, 'What does that have to do with anything.' Mulch was pretty much the only one she had seen at the hospital, except for the poor fairies with this mystery illness. The thought at the back of her mind was still poking her, awaiting for its grand entrance into the world. "I don't see-"

"Then you saw the people with the epidemic?" There had been few that she had seen at the hospital, but what she had seen caused a serious dip in her stomach. The epidemic not only had half of The People's world in its clutches, it held Artemis too. That was what had been bugging her the moment she saw Fowl climb out of the chute.

She buried her head in her hand and cried out, "No!"

Butler wasn't a hundred percent positive on his theory, but he could guess what was going on. Apart of him had know as well that Artemis had the epidemic. He slowly wandered over to Holly and placed his hand on her shaking shoulder. "Is it what I think it is?"

"I'm afraid so," Foaly whispered. The centaur and Artemis had been drawn together by their genius; he found it hard to cope with the knowledge, even if it was only a Mudman in danger. Giving Holly a pitying look, he busied himself on his computer. To some that may seem heartless, but that was how he dealt with things.

"Why didn't he say something?" Holly looked up from her hands; she had not been crying, but she was obviously very upset. Foaly had forced something into her brain that she didn't want to hear. All she wanted to do was forget everything, and pretend that Artemis was just fine.

"You know him," Butler frowned. "He's prideful."

"He would be willing to risk death on pride!" Holly knew perfectly well that Artemis would be willing to do so, but she found comfort in getting mad. Anger would be a safer emotion in the circumstance; tears would be only permit-able if Artemis kicked the bucket. "That's sheer stupidity, and Artemis does not do stupidity! He's a genius for Frond's sake!"

"This disease," Butler whispered, ignoring her ramblings. "How many have survived.

Foaly looked incredibly fluster. Nothing was going the way he planned, and his precious mate was on her deathbed as he spoke. Artemis Fowl was supposed to assist him in stopping this disease, but he couldn't do any good if he was dead.

"None so far."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I apologize for the late update. My family, unexpectedly, decided to carpet our computer room, so I was unable to access the keyboard. The next chapter will be up much sooner, I assure you. Thank you for your patience!**

**Cheers!**

_Ravenmasteroftele_


	3. Chapter 3: Forlorn Discovery

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Artemis Fowl series.**

**No Flaming Please!**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Forlorn Discovery**

* * *

The moment Artemis returned he knew that they had been told. The look on Butler's face could easily have scared away a pack of red ants; although, his sheer size alone probably would have played a big role. Foaly stared at him as if he were wearing a women's cocktail dress and lipstick. He slowly edged behind Butler, hoping that his massive size could save him from their stares.

Holly was the only one who didn't look at him like he was male prostitute; instead, she looked aggravated. Blaming her wasn't possible for him; he had kept something from her that needed to be said. He sighed, "You must know."

"Yes," she frowned, unaware of what else there was to say. '_Why him,_' she wondered. '_Why me?'_ She could feel her heart beating against her ribcage like a troll's fist upon the ground. Apart of her was surprised that her ribs did not crumble into a zillion pieces, and fall farther down into the depths of her bodice.

"Holly, I- Are you alright?" She was a goose feather; white to the point that you could see the colors refracting back into the crisp air. This was why he didn't want to say anything, she looked ready to simultaneously combust into a pile of ashes.

The sound of his voice against her eardrum woke her from the trance. She blinked a couple of times, and was surprised to find that he was speaking to her. For the past couple of minutes, she had been swallowed into her own little world. In her world there was no pain. "What was that?"

Like a cougar stalks a deer, he moved silently and catlike. He knew that Holly may be going into shock, it sometimes happened in traumatic situations. _'Why would this be happening now,_' he contemplated. '_We have seen far worse.' _He didn't think that he had meant enough to her to cause a reaction like this. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be," she snapped. Artemis was looking at her as if he was searching for something; it bugged the crap out of her. Punching him seemed to be the best option available at the time, but she couldn't bring herself to raise a fist.

"You're eyes are normal," he sighed, looking at her attentively. "You were showing the symptoms of a human who went into shock."

"Fowl, I'm not a human." She felt every atom of her being heat up, and flares of deep anger erupted from her mouth. Artemis Fowl was the only creature that could ever make her as annoyed as she was; strangely enough though, he was also the only one who could make her as happy as she was. '_I can't believe I just thought that,'_ she grimaced. _'Artemis Fowl does not provoke anything in me…… other then my last nerve.'_

They glared at each other through slanted eyes. If looks could kill, then they both would be lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. Sparks flared from their eyes sockets, springing waves of fireworks into the surrounding air. "I'm sick with a inhuman disease, am I not? I don't see how things can be so different with you."

Sawing back and forth, her teeth began to grind against each other. She was not very angry with the boy genius; she was only aggravated with herself. Swearing that she could hear the crashing of her colliding thoughts, she shook her head in frustration. The only thing she could do was allow her confused emotions to consume her like a giant troll. "The mud people are more susceptible to illness."

He sighed, "I-"

Pain attacked him faster then he could possible imagine, and he slowly eased his body to the floor. Everyone was surrounding him fairly fast, Holly in the front of the pack. It was funny how just a little agony could make people forget anger.

Their faces swam in front of his misty eyesight for a moment, before everything became extremely clear again. He was thankful for the shortness of this attack; he absolutely hated falling to his knees at the simplest twinges. Butler whispered, "Master Fowl."

"Here," she whispered, slowly helping him back to his feet. The pain that she was feeling within her soul could possible be more strenuous then childbirth. All those thoughts that had confused her stopped colliding and began to work together to form a conscious mind.

"I'm alright," he murmured. "Just a little chest pain; concern isn't necessary."

_'He should have told me about this,'_ she thought. _'We could have begun helping him much sooner.'_ A light trickle of blood flowed from his lips, and tumbled to the floor in crimson raindrops. Seeing him like this was like watching someone slaughter a eagle. "How are we not supposed to be concerned?"

The pained sound of her voice drew everyone's attention. Artemis knew that this was all because of him. If he hadn't built up so much bad fortune, then she wouldn't be in this state. A apology began to form in his brain, and he tried so hard to say the words. This could be the hardest thing he had ever done. "This is just a minor setback."

"A minor setback," she cried. "You're intestines are melting as we speak."

"We've seen worse," he lied. Even if he was faced with five thousand bull trolls, then he still wouldn't be as worried as he was at this moment. "We can-"

"This will just be a incentive to work a little harder," she interrupted. The canine fangs in her mouth looked extremely conspicuous as she said this. Artemis was pretty sure that bearing teeth was a fairy instinct; she always seemed to do this when she got slightly territorial.

He nodded only slightly, tilting his head from side to side like a curious hound. The muscles in his neck were painfully tight, and only loosened when he stretched his neck as a swan would. Even if somebody paid him, he wouldn't give them the benefit of seeing him do something so awkward. "I guarantee that the cure will be found."

"Of course," Holly nodded, putting on a fake mask of sincerity. All she wanted to do was run her heart out, then curl up into a nice mud bath. 'It's strange,' she realized. 'We call humans mud men, but now we bathe in the dirt more then they do.' Mentally, she chuckled to herself. Even thinking about mud baths distracted her from the current situation. Picking up where she left off, she whispered, "I trust you. I'm sure you'll find a cure."

They both knew that this optimism was fake. Her expressions had been completely perfect, as was her words. The only thing that threw off the sentiment was her eyes; they were two tiny chunks of ice throughout her speech. "Agreed."

Now that the most shocking information was out of the way, she turned her attention back to other important matters. The sadness she had felt was beaten away by anger, the viscous bully. "Why didn't you let me know what was going on!?"

The topic change was so sudden and immensely random, that even Artemis was slightly shocked. Trying to piece together a coherent sentence, his mouth tightened into a cartoon-like line. He doubted that any excuse he came up with would be enough to calm her rage. "I didn't want anyone to feel any unnecessary pain."

"Unnecessary?" The growl that erupted from her throat could challenge a clan of lions, and even they would flee in fear. Unfortunately for Mr. Fowl, running away was a impossible feat. Instead, like many times before, he watched her carefully. "This was anything but unnecessary!"

"Holly," he said, making his tone serious. "Please, it couldn't be helped."

She seemed disappointed in him. Every inch of him yearned to say some sort of apology, but his lips would not obey. When the words finally formed at her lips, she had already given him a fairly logical response. "Alright, Artemis."

Her eyes remained fixed on his face for some time. There was nothing frightening about this gaze, it had a almost calming affect on him; however, it did make him wonder about her thoughts. She was a dove at sunrise, incredibly tranquil. "I'm glad that you understand."

Finally, she turned herself away from his face. She hadn't really expected him to apologize; he very rarely showed regret for him actions. The sadness returned again; she almost yearned for the anger to come beat the feeling away. "Bickering will have to wait. There are more important things for us to do."

Though she faked being okay, he knew that she wasn't as alright as she seemed. He used to be a master at putting together play-like acts to fool people, and he could see right through Holly's behavior. Eyes could tell more stories then a library. "I believe that this topic needs further discussion."

"It's fine," she said. Her body was a statue, rigid and stiff. Perceptive as the mastermind could be, she had never suspected that he could see through that. It had been only half act, half real. She had forgiven him for not telling her, but she was still hurt. They had been through a lot, she thought that he could tell her things. "Let's move on."

When their lives were in danger, she was usually so affectionate. It was almost like she was a whole different fairy. Different circumstances brought different reactions; perhaps that was why she had reacted this way. "Fine."

"Foaly," Holly snapped. The centaur looked like he had been shot by a gun. He had obviously been wandering in the depths of his mind, and had not expected her to call out to him so harshly. Realizing that her words were knife sharp, she patted his haunches in a friendly way. "I know that you're worried about your mate, but I really need you to focus."

Artemis remained silent as everyone turned to look at him expectantly. It was him who had self-adopted that role of leader in the group, and they now expected him to do the same. Everything in his brain was on a wild roller coaster ride, unable to dismount.

"Well, Artemis," Butler urged. The typhoon in his mind would not calm down. His thoughts were not even coherent enough to form sentences, let alone say something brilliant. Their eyes were daggers that pierced his body painfully.

There was a mighty growl and stomping of feet; Holly was out of the room in a streak of light. She had behaved as though he had offended her. All he could do was stare at the door like a fifteen-year-old-boy at a Playboy magazine. "What's wrong with her?"

"Let her cool off," Foaly sighed. Women could be totally unpredictable, even the centaur females. This was not the first time he had seen this course of action, but he could tell by the look on Artemis's face that this was something completely new. "So your girlfriend never played this trick on you."

"No," he sighed. They had agreed on everything, so there was nothing to ever fight about. Despite some common belief, a little fighting was necessary to form a quality relationship. Bickering was not pleasant; however, some disputes were essential. '_I can think about psychology books all I want,' _he thought. _'They haven't ever helped me with Holly._'

Despite his surprise, Foaly kept his face constant. "Consider yourself lucky."

Artemis was worried about Holly; he wouldn't be able to think until they reached a understanding. There was no feasible explanation that described her behavior, but he assumed, like most females, Holly was expecting him to read her mind. As talented as he was, he never would pull off that trick. "I presume that you have encountered some bickering."

"It's nothing compared to Holly and you," Foaly nickered. The look in Artemis's eyes made the centaur stronger. The fairy had talked about Fowl's eyes, he now understood what she meant. There was something in them that could control thunder.

"I am well aware that we fight extensively," he sighed. "I don't think it can be helped; however, I do believe that a apology is in order."

A nickering Foaly nearly choked on his own spittle. Even though the centaur seemed to think something was incredibly funny, he didn't find any humor in the situation. The part of him that produced emotions seemed to have kicked the bucket. Foaly neighed, "You better not ask for apologies now. Holly's bound to give you a blast with her new Neutrino."

"That wasn't what I meant," he whispered. '_Is it so surprising that I would apologize to her,' _he wondered. Everything around him was now numb. As if he had stared straight at Medusa, every inch of his body felt like it had been turned to stone.

Foaly looked at Artemis, his distinctive eyes were very wide. "You're going to apologize? The great Artemis Fowl grovel at Holly Short's feet."

This was a problem he had unintentionally caused, let the consequences be his own. This could possibly be one of the worst day's of his life, and he had a feeling that it was going to get worse. He was thankful for the numbness that consumed him. "I do not believe that this news should be so shocking. This is not the first time I had to plead with her."

"I suppose not," Foaly whinnied. "Good luck. Short looked like she was about to bust a kneecap; I'll be praying to Frond that it isn't yours."

"Thanks for the concern," he said, lazily shrugging his shoulders. They had been through worse fights then this, and every argument usually pulled them closer together. Apologizing was going to be unexceptionally hard; however, he knew that it would be worth it. If he did end up dying in the end, then he wouldn't have this on his conscious. "Holly will have calmed down slightly, I'm sure."

He never waited for Foaly or Butler to answer, and he left the room in a wild dash for freedom. '_I hope Holly hasn't left the building. It wouldn't be wise for me to wander around outside,'_ he thought. Civilians would not take kindly to seeing a human.

Luckily, she had not left the building. Perched on a chair outside of the door was Holly, sitting in a very bird-like stance. There wasn't a trace of tears on her cheeks, but she did look confused. He could imagine that her face mirrored his own.

"Why did you leave?" Like a giant frog, she leaped off the chair in surprise. His naturally silent feet had worked their magic again.

She no longer appeared angry with him, but merely deeply depressed. Despite the face that he hated seeing her sad, apart of him was glad to distinguish that she cared. He had been afraid that she was completely unfeeling towards him. "I needed space. I'm surprised that you came to look for me, it's not like you."

Apart of him was slightly scarred. '_Have I given everyone this impression,'_ he wondered._ 'I guess she is correct though.'_ The feelings that had momentarily were back now, feeding at the vase of medulla oblongata. "Actually, I was looking for the restroom. Running into you was not my intention, just sheer fortune."

She found herself smiling, despite how she had felt only moments before. "Sorry, Fowl. We both know that The People have no indoor bathrooms. The pure thought of it disgusts me."

He did not approve of that rule. There was not a think layer of vomit near the front gate, and the maintenance crew was not going to be happy. None of it mattered now, Holly was finally back to acting normal. He shrugged, "I didn't have to go anyway. I feel sorry for your maintenance crew; they're going to have a lot to clean up."

Obviously amused, she wrinkled her nose as if someone held a steaming pile of dung beneath it. "You better be careful," she smirked. "You may build a reputation like Mulch's."

She had just poked fun at a bruise, large and swollen. The disease was not only enveloping his body, it was also eating away at his pride. Hiding his deepened unease, he turned to her and grimaced. "I do believe that my reputation has been damaged and shall not be repaired."

Realizing that he was also experiencing stress, she carefully rested her hand on his shoulder. This wasn't going to be a easy fight to win, but she knew that they could do it. Despite how hopeless everything seemed, she knew that everything would return to normal; at least, that was what she had been telling herself.

"The other's are worried about you. We should probably get back." Even though she followed him like a well trained puppy or a adoring fan, he could tell there was still something wrong. He could read her like a book, just like she could do with him. "There's still something wrong."

"D'avrit," she growled. "Do you always have to be so perceptive?"

"It's a natural gift," he muttered, not at all humored. Like his intelligence, he had received his perceptiveness from his father. "I'm afraid that it's inevitable."

Just like in there past adventures, she found that her heart was beating extremely quickly. This time, however, it was for a completely different reason. Everything was moving to fast for her to handle. She bit her lip, "Fowl, you couldn't possibly be more annoying."

"I know," he smiled. There was a silent pause; whether it was awkward or not, he wasn't be complete sure. Whatever it was that needed to be said was slipping from her plump lips. Like a freshly caught fish, her mouth opened and closed rhythmically.

She finally sighed, "Can you promise me something?"

This caught him by surprise, even though he had already been unsure of what to expect. After all, she had not given him many hints of her reason for unhappiness. It had just existed, unexplainably, like the dark matter that floated throughout the universe. "That depends."

Nodding her head, she began to pace back and forth. She had to admit that she thought that her request was rather stupid and childish, but she couldn't help herself. Even he couldn't answer her question with one hundred percent sureness, despite whatever he said. All she could do was hope that it would be enough to calm her down. "I'm not sure about asking this of you."

"It depends," he repeated. A proposition had to be listened to thoroughly, contemplated and analyzed. You never knew when someone was going to ask you to jump, naked, into a swimming pool of chocolate pudding. This time, though, he doubted that it would be the case. "I very rarely agree to anything without hearing it first."

"Will you promise me that you won't die?" She knew that this was a ridiculous question that no living creature could succumb too, even Artemis Fowl. She knew also, however, that if he told her that he wouldn't die, then her belief would not waver.

He kneeled so he could talk to her face to face. He smiled, placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "I won't die."

Words were such a odd thing. A combination of just a couple of them could soothe a heart or shatter it; that was what made languages so beautiful. Just a single whimper could tell the world everything, as could a single sigh. "Thank you."

Standing back to his full height, he nodded, glad that he could be of assistance. He wouldn't have been more surprised if she had asked him to jump into a pool of pudding, but he was certainly glad that she hadn't. The last time somebody had requested this had led themselves into a world full of unpleasantness. "I'm Artemis Fowl, remember."

She nodded, laughing. "Glad to have you back."

* * *

The world tasted of fire and death, of sulfur and acid. Everything was a hazy blur as if he had been crying for days. The only thing he could do to keep himself from falling was to sway back and fourth for long periods of time, and it was beginning to make him queasy.

All around him were fields of nothingness. A giant vacuum had come and sucked up all life forms, and pretty much everything else on the planet. He was the only thing that existed in this fiery hell. Pinching himself, he begged for his body to awake.

"Not again," he moaned. Once again, he was in the hell of this lucid dream. It was pulling him in like a fisherman would reel him in a fish; the head and smells would cook him alive, and the very mouth of this delusion would gobble him up whole. There he would remain, never to be seen again.

The dream was his enemy; it was testing him, teasing him, and pulling him towards that dark ridge of insanity. There was no control in this place. Hoping to exit this hallucination was futile, for it did nothing to thwart the power of its control.

The thing that entrapped him was his own mind, and he knew of its power quite well. It would keep its grip on him for long period of time, never slacking its ability to make everything hell. It was a odd feeling to be afraid of himself.

Every time he shut his eyes this dream drew him in, and during the night he found himself wrestling with sleep. The longer he stayed awake, the less he would have to be entrapped here. If he found himself believing in hell, then this was exactly what his mind would picture.

This dream was of a lucid type, he knew. Lucid dreams allowed the victim to take control of themselves during the dream; however, unlike other dreams of this same status, he was never able to arise on his own accord.

He did whatever he could to wake up, but he only managed to injure himself further. Trying to knock himself out of this place like you would a normal dream didn't work. Eventually, he would find a way to knock himself out of this place.

Silence was something that he didn't usually mind, but this was a terrifying hush; there was no peace within its wordless terror. This silence let you know that know matter what you did, no one was ever going to come to your aid. He was truly alone.

Despite the heat, there were ice crystals dancing in the air. If he reached out to touch them like he had in the past, then they would shatter into a horrifying display of glass shards. He counted the seconds that passed, hoping that he would soon awake.

Ever since he came to the people, three days ago, he had this strange hallucination; although, like every snowflake, no two dreams could be identical. Every dream had to have at least one slight difference. Even if that difference is so miniscule that you had to use a magnifying glass to see it.

"Artemis," he heard Holly say. He took a step forward, and the world of darkness dissolved into a flash of white. This sudden change had also left him in a different position; he was now laying flat on his back in a uncomfortable bed. The bed was so itchy that he could have sworn that someone had put some type of toxin into it.

He, as usual, took the time to look at all the distinctive surroundings around him. The walls were a distinctive off-white with little distinctive pink flowers. The pink flowers disturbed him somehow, even though he had no idea why. The wallpapering made him feel small, insignificant, and unable to assist himself throughout this ordeal.

The most frightening thing in the room, though, was a vase full of blood red roses. With the simple touch of black ribbon, the flowers now looked like a sign of death. These flowers did not look like the sign of love that everyone made them out to be.

A single round, wooden table stood beneath the flowers; a single chair lay perched at his head, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable. It was almost like everything in the room had eyes, and they were staring at him like a big piece of halibut. Spiders crawled up and down his spine.

The doors on the counter were banging on their own accord. He longed for another person to be here with him, so he wouldn't have feel like a single ant trapped under a magnifying glass. Whatever was causing this dream, most likely his fever, had to be removed from his life immediately. He didn't want to be here anymore.

"Artemis," he heard Holly call again. She appeared at the head of the bed, as she always did, with tears streaming down her face. She was a broken water picket, and no one could fix her; not even a man with the mightiest tool belt in the world.

There was nothing he could do. Like a paralyzed child, he remained rooted in place. He was certainly unable to stop her tears, and he almost started to whimper himself. Everything in his mind was being stretching itself into oblivion. Readying himself for a fall, he was on the edge of a cliff teetering until he broke down.

Every breath seemed to get quicker and quicker as if he had been sprinting for hours. Hoping that he would become calmer, he began to count the pink flowers on the wall. If he counted slowly, then there would be enough to occupy him for hours.

He could hear Holly's softly sobbing. It broke his heart to completely ignore her troubled emotions, but this was only a dream. He told himself this over and over, hoping that the guilt would disappear with his words. The guilt did not decrease but increase as each second grew longer and longer.

Out of nowhere, her hand darted over and grabbed his own. He desperately yearned to feel the warmth of her hands over his own, but her hands were like clouds of air; he probably wouldn't have felt anything if she punched him. He heard her whisper, "Artemis."

Despite how close there faces were, he tried to stare at the ceiling instead. The ceiling held no confusion, other then the yellow, crusty spot in the corner. This was of no matter to him. Compared to everything that was happening to him, mustard stains on the ceiling seemed obsolete.

She was leaning closer to him now; she was so close that her breath was cool against his cheek. The ceiling was losing its interesting factors, but he still stared at it in desperation. '_I would give anything to disappear,'_ he thought. _'I want to be somewhere else.'_

"Holly," he whispered, finally giving in. Like in his past dreams, she completely ignored him. Her eyes were locked on his the whole time, it was odd that she wouldn't respond. Still, he found himself desperately trying to reach her in anyway possible.

Finally, she leaned down so far that they were near touching. There was only slight hesitation as she, very slowly, brushed her lips against his own. He couldn't feel the touch at all Still though, the kiss still brought shock down his stomach and spine. This was why he could never tell Holly of this dream; she would never be able to handle the though of kissing him.

Like blue-raspberry Kool-Aid, her face would change pigments. Tumbling down to her knees, she gave him a look that screamed 'help me.' There she would lie for a seemingly large amount of time on the white tiling, while he begged her to get up.

"Holly," he squeaked. Every time he saw this, he wanted to pull her to her feet; however, it was as if he had seen Medusa. There would be no feeling in his statue-like bodice, as he stared, helplessly, at her lying on the floor. _'I would given anything … Just let me help her.'_

The horrifying silence returned, but the feeling in his body did not. All he was left to do was stare, openmouthed, at the scene that hurt him more then 1000 needles. Deep down, he knew that she was dying because of him, and he could do nothing to help. He was such a fool.

Suddenly, as usual, he became Holly. Up above him in the bed of off-white hospital bed sheets, he would stare at himself. If you ever truly looked at yourself, then you would understand the horror of this moment. It was almost like looking into the eyes of a monster.

He was laughing, his two differently color gemstones shining above him. The Artemis in the bed wrapped his bony fingers around his wrist, pulling him upwards to him. It was there that they remained for sometime. Neither of them spoke a word, they just remained transfigured in a world of eerie quiet.

The Artemis in the bed smiled down at him; it wasn't a friendly smile, but the one he used when something incredibly awful had just been accomplished. He hadn't used that smile in years. With a hiss more sinister then ever before, his other self whispered in his ear, "You broke your promise."

* * *

**Authors Note:**

**Happy Thanksgiving! I'm sorry if the dream got a little confusing, I did my best to make things clear! Thanks for reading.**

**Cheers!**

**Ravenmasteroftele**


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